Oftentimes, the exact same women you see harassing and shaming other women outside of a clinic entrance will at some point take advantage of the abortion facilities at the exact same clinic.
Why? How can anyone be such a hypocrite? How can anyone live with such cognitive dissonance?
Because these women somehow think that their circumstances are "special" or different from all those "whores getting abortions for convenience." They seem to think that their abortion is the only "moral" abortion, a neat little exception among all the rest in their distorted worldview. Here's a newsflash: it's not. Your circumstances for needing an abortion are NO MORE SPECIAL OR MORAL OR DIFFERENT OR BETTER THAN ANY OTHER WOMAN'S. I believe that any time a woman chooses of her own will to have an abortion, it is already a moral and necessary decision, because I know that great suffering occurs when people are denied choice. It's disgusting to me that there are women out there who for whatever reason either "hate" abortion or are actively anti-choice and they seem to think that they are the *exception* to their own vile hate crusade.
It's even more disheartening to me that I actually know women like this. Without even stopping to think of their own personal circumstances, they condemn other women and doctors. They made their choice but still shame others. They refer to abortion as: "the slaughter of innocent children," "violent," "murder," "a holocaust," "narcissistic," "outrageous," and actively believe that women are only "created to nurture life" and that it is in a woman's "inborn nature" (aka natural duty) to have children. They continue to use these words even knowing that they themselves, or their own daughter, mother, or sister had the procedure.
Oh, but I guess it's suddenly different when you or your daughter needs an abortion, right? Then it's suddenly not narcissism, suddenly it's not murder, suddenly it ain't a holocaust anymore? If you are going to use hyperbolic, hateful, false language to describe one of the most common medical procedures in the US and condemn thousands of women as so-called "murderers," then feel free to count yourself as one of them. Nothing makes you special or holier-than-thou or exempt from your own frothing lies.
At least I know that these anti-choice women aren't murderers and neither are their doctors. They came to their decision the way any pro-choice woman would, knowing that it was the right one at the time. And their doctors are heroes for continue to serve women in an extremely hostile political environment. I will not condemn a woman for her choice, whether that may be carrying to term and parenting, adoption, or abortion. But I WILL condemn a hypocrite. I will condemn someone who preaches against something they "claim" is morally wrong/evil, but does exactly what they claim is "evil." The bottom line is this: How dare you exercise YOUR right to choose but try to take away mine and others!
You would think that being in such dire circumstances would make anti-choice women realize that abortion is none of the ridiculous things they pretend it is. It's nothing that their pastors or the patriarchy warned them it was. You would think that they would realize that the procedure actually helps women, enables them to achieve their full lifetime potential before having children, and to be better mothers in the future. But, no, it's easier to deny reality, continue spewing the same lies, and live under a cloak of delusion.
If you know someone like this in your life, please, call them out on their bullshit. That is one way we can make it a safer world for women to exercise their rights. We can make women and clinics safer if we call out the hypocrites, and encourage all women to share their experiences.
For more about this ugly phenomenon, I highly recommend reading the article "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" When the Anti-Choice Choose by Joyce Arthur.
some excerpts:
"'I've had several cases over the years in which the anti-abortion patient had rationalized in one way or another that her case was the only exception, but the one that really made an impression was the college senior who was the president of her campus Right-to-Life organization, meaning that she had worked very hard in that organization for several years. As I was completing her procedure, I asked what she planned to do about her high office in the RTL organization. Her response was a wide-eyed, 'You're not going to tell them, are you!?' When assured that I was not, she breathed a sigh of relief, explaining how important that position was to her and how she wouldn't want this to interfere with it.' (Physician, Texas)
'In 1990, in the Boston area, Operation Rescue and other groups were regularly blockading the clinics, and many of us went every Saturday morning for months to help women and staff get in. As a result, we knew many of the 'antis' by face. One morning, a woman who had been a regular 'sidewalk counselor' went into the clinic with a young woman who looked like she was 16-17, and obviously her daughter. When the mother came out about an hour later, I had to go up and ask her if her daughter's situation had caused her to change her mind. 'I don't expect you to understand my daughter's situation!' she angrily replied. The following Saturday, she was back, pleading with women entering the clinic not to 'murder their babies.'' (Clinic escort, Massachusetts)
'We too have seen our share of anti-choice women, ones the counselors usually grit their teeth over. Just last week a woman announced loudly enough for all to hear in the recovery room, that she thought abortion should be illegal. Amazingly, this was her second abortion within the last few months, having gotten pregnant again within a month of the first abortion. The nurse handled it by talking about all the carnage that went on before abortion was legalized and how fortunate she was to be receiving safe, professional care. However, this young woman continued to insist it was wrong and should be made illegal. Finally the nurse said, 'Well, I guess we won't be seeing you here again, not that you're not welcome.' Later on, another patient who had overheard this exchange thanked the nurse for her remarks.' (Clinic Administrator, Alberta)"
In other related news: don't have sex with pro-lifers. They don't know anything about biology or contraception, they think they're special, they don't respect the bodily autonomy of others, and they are almost definitely horrible in bed (not a good lay).
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